Practical Joke
by Chiri-tan
Summary: Ra loves a practical joke, that's why he thinks that sending Yugi, Ryou, and Malik with female bodies to the Ancient Egypt would make an awesome joke of the year. YxYY BxYB MxYM
1. Chapter 1

"Horus,"

In the throne of heavens, Horus shrugged. "Yes, my king?" He asked, for like the _thousandth _time this morning. "Horus," the sun God said again. Now the pharaoh of the heavens looked at the god with a sigh. "_Yes, my king?" _He emphasized his words, trying to get his point. He was ruling over gods here! "Horus, I am bored." For this? The old man had been bothering him all morning for _this_?

"Go play some human card games, you like it when they summon you." Horus was actually jealous though. Lord Osiris had a dragon form thanks to that card game, Obelisk, _the _Obelisk monument, actually got a cool form of blue giant. And Ra? Ra got a super badass forms: dragon and phoenix.

"Since the three God cards got collected by a human, I was summoned less and less. Even though I like this kid, Yugi Mutou and his yami who's actually Atem, I really like it when the Ishtar kid, both Malik and his yami summon me almost all his duels." Ra ended it with a sigh. Horus rolled his eyes. There he was, the most ancient god of Egypt, complaining because humans don't summon him as much in human's card game.

"Horus,"

"OH FOR NILE'S SAKE WHAT IS IT?!" Horus snapped. The man had been calling him for _hours_ of morning just because he was _bored_. Didn't the god have anything else to do?!

"Oh yes! I always love it when you snap! It makes a good practical joke!"

"Do you want to know what a good practical joke is?" Horus asked snappily to the sun god, who perked to him now because he was clearly interested. "Go to those people you like, make them an opposite gender, and then throw them to some random time. And then you'll get your best practical joke of the year and amusement too." Horus was just blurting whatever he had in mind actually, but Ra looked absolutely ecstatic.

"Oh yes! _Yes! _That'd be so hilarious! Thank you Horus, you're awesome!" Ra then moved from his throne and burst on fire, heading to the Shadow Realm. "Finally, I can get my work done…" The pharaoh of gods sighed, thanking the silence that finally bestowed him.

* * *

"So Silent Magician, Change of Heart, and Humanoid Slime -you look nasty by the way. I want you guys to meet with your partners and speak some nonsense to them, tell them they can meet their darker halves again, do you get me?"

To tell the truth, Silent Magician, Change of Heart, and Humanoid Slime didn't really get it. But they said yes anyway. "Awesome. I'm going now, I'm expecting you to hurry though, since I'm too bored for long winded process."

"You mean our masters don't actually have a choice?" Change of Heart spoke up, oh, always the considerate one. "Oh please, of course they don't! But actually… what wouldn't they give to see the darker halves again? I'm sure you three saw how they live without them."

Silent Magician flinched. Oh yes she knew how her master lives without his darker half. It was like watching a zombie, a smiling and highly functioning one, but that was it. It also pained her sometimes to see her master staring at the mirror, hoping for _someone _to be there and everything.

Change of Heart frowned. It hurt her to see her master feel lonely. Sure, he was happy for not being controlled and his friends stopped being figurines, but his darker half was the only one who paid him constant attention humans' need as a social being. The only ones her master could count on was Silent Magician's master and Humanoid Slime's master, since they both felt the same thing about losing the half of their souls.

Humanoid Slime felt his body froze. Even though his master's darker half was different than the others, he felt that it was true. His master _was _emptier. Rage, hatred, envy, and all those things are necessary for humans to live, after all.

Realizing this, Ra smirked to the three monsters. "We have our deals, yes?"

The three of them shivered, but then bowed. "As you wish, my king."

* * *

"Malik, I think you should cut it out before the police caught you!" Yugi was shouting, ignoring his manly pride as he hugged Malik's waist like there was no tomorrow. "What? I can't hear you! The wind's too loud in my ears!" Yugi knew that his friend was lying, but before he could say anything, Malik sped up the motorcycle even more and made Yugi faint on his back.

It had been a year ever since his yami, Atem, and Ryou's yami, Thief King Bakura left, and a year plus a few months for Malik's yami's banishment to the Shadow Realm. The three of them didn't think that much about it at first, but then after a few months of solitary, they began to feel the emptiness.

Sometimes, Yugi would try to search his own shadows; maybe he could see the golden Eye of Horus somewhere. He missed his other self, he really did- still do, actually. Ryou would feel dangerously alone, and paranoia could attack him like it was a plague. And Malik… he was just plain… empty.

Unable to cope with those feelings by themselves, the three of them started calling each other, and then eventually arrange some meet-ups, and finally came down into the three of them sharing a room in Ryou's ridiculously big apartment.

When Yugi came to, he could see Bakura's brown eyes looking at him with worry. "Huh?" Yugi asked. "You fainted when you ride the motorcycle." Ryou laughed a little. Even when they both live with Malik, who avoid other transportations besides boat and motorcycle like a plague, they don't have high tolerance for them. Malik had insisted that they were both stupid, as the bike is the greatest form of transportation mankind has ever made. But they shrugged it with a laugh.

Eventually, Malik joined them with three cans of colas in his hand. "Here, cool down a bit." Ryou and Yugi smiled at the rashest member of their trio. "Hey Malik how is Ishizu-san?" Yugi asked as he gulped down his cola. Malik finished his cola and replied, looking as non-committal as he could. "Ah she's fine. Wouldn't shut up about me being in Japan, but so what." It wasn't even a question. Yugi trembled a little.

Ishizu-san found that Malik actually _missed _his darker half horrifying. After all, Malik's yami wreak havoc and chaos and tried to plunge all of them to the Shadow Realm. If anything, Malik should be relieved… but he's not.

Just like with Yugi, and Ryou. They all once feared their yamis, but then… their yamis always, _always _look out for them.

For Yugi's yami, it was obvious for naked eyes, but for Ryou and Malik…

Ryou's yami trapped all of Ryou's friends in figurine because Ryou had thought that he wanted the games they played to last forever, he trapped the gym teacher because the teacher had been mean to Ryou. It was all for Ryou's sake. And nobody was ever willing to do that much for him.

Malik's yami was born out of hatred and anger. But then, he made all of the most horrible times in Malik's life a blur. Malik had hated his father; his yami killed the man for him. Malik had endured the pain of the scar on his back; his yami shared those pains with him. And like Yugi, who was bullied before, or Ryou, who had no friends in general… nobody but his yami had been there for him.

The three of them sigh.

"Nothing would change." Malik was the one who spoke up, and Ryou only ruffled Yugi's hair to comfort the boy. _"Wrong. Something __**could **__change," _

Suddenly, the portal to the Shadow Realm opened, something that was supposed to be impossible since the pharaoh's departure. Malik and Ryou shielded Yugi instinctively, seeing as he was the youngest of the group.

"_Master!" _A small magician appeared, hugging Yugi on his neck. _"Master," _Change of Heart smiled in relief to Ryou. _"My lord," _Humanoid Slime said to Malik, who looked utterly shocked.

"What the hell?!" Malik exclaimed.

"_We're here under the orders of Lord Ra," _Silent Magician said, peering her ruby eyes to her master's amethyst's ones. _"The three of us were to tell you…" _Change of Heart kneeled until she was at eye-level to Ryou, who was also kneeling.

"_That you will be able to meet your darker halves again." _The reaction was ecstatic.

"R-really?!" Yugi.

"A-ah?" Ryou.

"What?" Malik.

They all shared the same happiness in their eyes. Meeting their yamis again? That'd be awesome!

"_We understand, we'll send you to them, now." _Silent Magician's eyes glinted, like she was trying to tell Yugi about something. But, as the shadow engulfed all three of them, Yugi missed his chance to ask.

He was expecting a long trip, but it wasn't.

Suddenly, he appeared in thin air and fell down to something- or _someone_.

He also heard a muffled yelp of Malik and Ryou, who also fell down.

"WHO ARE YOU?" A voice boomed, and Yugi swore that it wasn't Japanese, but he could understand it anyway. He saw that Malik and Ryou fell in front of two men who have spears pointed to their necks. But something was odd…

Was… was Malik's face had been that round?

Was Ryou's chest that… big?

"Excuse me," a calm, deep, rich, smooth, and regal voice that Yugi could recognize from anywhere said to his ears. But the events that follow after distracted him from that voice. "Who are you?! Who are _all _of you women?! How dare you interrupt a procession of Millennium Court?!"

Wait, what? "I'm not a woman-" BUT HE WAS!

Yugi's chest… it wasn't big, but it was _there_. Yugi's waist… it went _slimmer_. "WHAT THE FUCK?" Malik shouted, but before he- _she _could say anything more, the man behind him _- her _had broken away from the restraint and grabbed her by her waist and slung her on his shoulder. "I dunno who you are, woman, but thanks for saving me. BAKURA, WE'RE GOING!"

Ryou's captor did the same to Yugi's other best friend. "Sure thing, Marik! WE'RE GOING TO SEE YOU AGAIN, PHARAOH!" As the four of them run, Yugi could hear Malik's screams of obscenity.

"DON'T LET THEM RUN!"

"OH MY RA! RYOU! MALIK!"

"Excuse me," the Pharaoh said on her ears as the guards and the sacred guardians left to chase the thieves (actually, one of them is an assassin). Yugi turned, and realized where she had landed. "Who are you, miss? And can you please get off of my lap?"

Apparently, she had landed on top of the Pharaoh's lap. She didn't even notice that the King's advisor, Siamun Muran, had passed out because of it.

"M-Mou hitori no boku…" _Shit._

* * *

"That is _hilarious!_" Ra laughed from his throne. His laughter vibrated throughout the world as an earthquake. Suddenly, a red dragon appeared and took a human form, just like the sun god did. "What brings you to utter laughter, my friend?" He asked.

"Osiris, your son is a genius." Ra invited his friend to sit on a chair he just made. "First class entertainment!" Osiris narrowed his yellow eyes as he sat down. "You tampered with human's fates again, didn't you…" He said suspiciously.

"Oh c'mon, my friend, what's life without a little practical joke?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Horus,"

"For the sake of this world, my king, _please _don't say that you're bored again. I have enough work as it… is…" Horus looked up from all the work that needed his attention. Instead of being greeted by a certain asshole of a god named Ra, he was met with the calm and smiling face of the god he respected the most.

"Lord Osiris," Horus said, bowing his head.

Osiris smiled as he walked closer to the pharaoh of gods. "You are working hard, my son." A smile graced upon the lord of the underworld's face. Horus could feel his cheeks blush as his father complimented him. "Thank you very much, father. But, this is nothing." Another smile graced the lord's lips as his godly hand made its way to Horus' head.

"My son, my friend told me that you have contributed an idea of sending three mortals, in their opposite gender, back to the time period they are not supposed to exist as a practical joke."

That was when his godly heart skipped a beat. Lord Osiris was his father and a judge of the dead back in his realm of Duat. He was stern and just. Suddenly, the thing he said to the sun god yesterday just seemed to be such a bad idea.

"I-I'm sorry, Lord Osiris." And Horus really _was _sorry. "You do understand that you will put them into agonizing situations, yes? And you are the one who will forever be responsible about it. Lord Ra is not like any other gods, who thinks much for mortals. He the sun, representing the its brightness and wisdom, and he also thinks little of other things but his amusement." Stab stab stab stab. Horus felt like his gut was just stabbed repeatedly by knives that were his father's words. "Please watch over them. That Yugi child is a very kind individual, Horus, I felt it when he supported his darkness during the duels I was summoned in." His father chuckled.

"Oh dear," Lord Osiris jumped smoothly over the desk he was leaning at. "It seems that she has arrived." _She?_

"RA! GET YOUR SHINY ASS HERE AND LET ME CRUSH YOU! HOW DARE YOU PLAY AROUND WITH HELPLESS MORTALS' FATE?!"

"OH OBELISK! DON'T BE SO MAD!"

Horus couldn't help but join his father for a laugh. It was just another day for the gods in heaven.

* * *

"For the love of Ra, _stop groping me!_" Malik seethed as her other half fondled her breasts from behind. Her face was red from embarrassment and anger, to both her counterpart and whoever the bastard that made her a woman.

The four of them were in the desert now, on a horse, in which she sat in front of her darker half who was nuzzling his face on her neck. "You smell nice." Malik blushed, but brushed it off as a teasing. The fact that her darker half groped her breasts (again) shortly after that didn't help either. "Thanks for appearing out of nowhere like that though. Couldn't think of a better way to distract those rich bastards, and here I was thinking to make Bakura strip to get their attention."

The Thief King yelled a 'hey!' from the horse beside them, with a very embarrassed Ryou trying her best to keep their torso from touching. "Introductions are in order, I suppose?" Malik's darker half took the rein from her with his left hand and used his right hand to cup her chin and make her face his way. "I'm Marik Sama'el, also known as the servant of chaos."

Malik felt blood rushing to her cheeks as her darker half, Marik Sama'el, smirked at her. Oh Ra! Why did she feel like a girl, dammit? Oh wait, it's because she _was _a girl. She cursed. "Feisty, aren't ya? Just my type of woman." Marik encircled his right arm on her slim waist and bit her earlobe.

"You'll fall of your horse if you do that!" Ryou warned Marik, who eventually agreed. "Oh yeah. Can't be rude the women who saved our asses, right?" Marik said with a hint of mockery and sarcasm, but Ryou didn't reply them.

Silence came amongst the four of them. But, after quite a while, Ryou murmured. "We need to go back to the palace." With that, the Thief King faced her with an annoyed expression. "You've got to be kidding me!" Malik looked at Ryou. "We left Yugi with his yami, Ryou. There's no way anything could happen. You know how the Pharaoh was."

"But the Pharaoh didn't know who Yugi is now, right?" Realization dawned upon Malik. This was the worst-case scenario. Unlike she and Ryou, who had rocky and almost non-existent _real _relationship with their yami, Yugi and the Pharaoh bonded deeply. And now, after a year of agony for Yugi who had been missing his other half like crazy, they were left alone.

"Fuck, it won't be strange of he suddenly hug the Pharaoh of Egypt and burst into tears." The Thief King stopped his horse, and with that, Marik followed his example. "Are you talking about that girl who fell on top of Pharaoh's lap?" Girl…? Ack, if they had turned into girls, it won't be strange if Yugi also got turned into a girl. No wonder they seemed confused when they were talking the whole time with 'he'.

"Yes…" Ryou said, cowering under the harsh glare of her yami. "And in that topic," Bakura went down from the horse and looked up to the girl sitting on his horse with curious and irritated stare. "Who the hell are you? Why do I feel like I've known you forever?" The Thief King was glaring at Ryou, and Marik sent a stare of curiosity at Malik's face as well.

"Just tell them," Malik said eventually. "Eh? But…" Ryou gasped. "For them to believe or not to believe is their choices." Ryou looked absolutely reluctant, but after Malik's convincing stare, she sighed and began the story.

"Actually, we came from the future and…"

Malik and Ryou spouted the entire story. Marik furrowed his eyebrows at some moments and Bakura only frowned the entire time. After the whole story was finished, Bakura grabbed Ryou's hands and forced her down the horse. "Why would you want to see me then?" He asked, seething. He didn't want to believe any of this nonsense, but his heart didn't think that any of that was wrong and it confused him. "From what you said, I have been nothing but a mean and evil person who took your life away from you." Bakura glared at the smaller, female look alike of his.

"I-I don't get it myself…" Ryou whimpered, and Bakura must say that she looked damn arousing when she blushed like that. "Maybe if you have the Millennium Ring, you'll get it." Bakura smirked. "Did you just tell me that one of the sacred national treasures in whole Khemet rightfully belonged to me?" Ryou looked up to the Thief King, who looked absolutely thrilled.

"Did you hear that, Marik?" Bakura asked his assassin partner, who was still looking at his 'hikari' with morbid fascination. "Heard that, and it seemed that the Millenium Rod is mine. Sweet, I always want to kick _Priest _Seth on the nuts. Let's do some stealing then!" Marik turned their horse around, back to the palace's direction. They threw off the robes they've stolen on their way here to the desert.

"Hey! Why are you taking that off?! You're a fugitive, aren't you?" Malik nearly screamed her guts off. "The quickest way to get to the palace and to your friend is…" Marik cocked his head to Thief King, who followed his example and put his hikari in front instead of the back so he could molest her. "Get caught!" Both criminals went full speed ahead to the palace, with sheer determination to know who these women they felt the necessity to be near to were.

* * *

He knew her.

But he did not, he clearly did not know of the girl who looked liked him, albeit in smaller figure and clothes that were too big on her. The Pharaoh, despite all efforts, could not shake the feeling that he knew this girl, he knew this girl _well._

His captive was there, in front of him with the ropes on her delicate wrists. The clothing she wore was weird, and clearly out of his Holy Land of Khemet. He noticed that her skin was pale, unlike others he had seen before. And it complimented her small and fragile look. But her face, oh Ra, her face.

Wide eyes, in a brilliant shade of amethyst he had never seen in his entire life. He only knew the precious jewel from scrolls and whatnot, and he was surprised when the owner of said jewels in such a way natural possible, fell on top of his lap. And her eyes reflected innocence and naïveté that he usually stopped seeing at girls above thirteen harvests. Her round face, pale-skinned with the wide amethyst eyes complimenting them, took his breath away.

"Who are you?" He questioned the familiar stranger once again, genuinely curious of her being. How come he never knew of such beauty upon his land?

But the girl did not mutter the foreign words she had uttered before. She merely looked up to him, her amethyst eyes teary and hurt. It was as if the Pharaoh's question had hurt her.

When the Pharaoh was about to rise, his sacred guardians entered the room with their Millennium Items in hands, preparing for another court. The Pharaoh couldn't help but feel a little curious about this girl's heart. Could she have a shadow spirit with such a display of purity?

"I, Priest Shada, shall see into this girl's heart if she has a creature dwelling in it!" The girl cowered in fear. Why though? Was she afraid that she will be found out?

"She has a creature, but I cannot ascertain if it was of good or bad." Shada moved away, and Akhnaden took his place. "That creature shall be revealed by my Millennium Eye!" As the Eye glowed, shadow left the girl's features and instead of a scary monster, they were met with a very small spirit.

"Mistress, mistress! Don't cry! Don't cry!" A small, feathery creature bounced in front of her. "Watapon..." The little girl's voice was full of relief. "Marshmallon wanted to come here, but everyone was rushing to your aid and I slipped out because I'm the smallest. Even Gandora was at the door!" She hugged the small creature, tears forming in the corner of her eyes.

The court looked at her weirdly. They had never seen a person who talked to their shadow spirit. Shadow spirits were the embodiment of evil hearts, having them would drive a person insane with evil thoughts. But how could that little creature even harm a fly drive such a small girl to insanity?

Priest Seth stood forward. "I shall seal the evil spirit with my Millennium Rod!" The girl screamed. "NO! P-please spare her! Watapon is not an evil spirit, s-she's just-!" She hugged her spirit tightly, trying to resist the Millennium Rod's power.

But it was to no avail; her spirit was sealed on the stone tablet. She screamed and ran to it, crying. "Watapon!" She shouted.

"Now, for her judgment. I say we kill her and chop her limbs for her heinous crime of bothering the Millennium Court." The Pharaoh spoke up. "That is unnecessary, Priest Seth." He pointed at the girl, who pressed her forehead to the stone tablet, clearly in loss. She was broken already, there was no need to kill her.

"Ugh, Watapon... Come back..." Her hand went to her pocket, and somehow, the Millennium Pendant the Pharaoh wore gleamed sadly.

"She's trying to summon another spirit! Stop her!" Isis said to Mahaad, but the priest of Millennium Ring looked towards his own Millennium Item, which showed no impending danger.

"I'll do it!" Seth stretched his hand, his Dia Diahnk stretched. "I summon thee, Garestogoras!" A dragon appeared. " A Duel disk?!" The girl wondered out loud, clearly surprised. "Garestogoras, attack that girl!" When the dragon made its way, the Pharaoh was about to summon something to protect her, but she only closed her eyes shut.

"Harm my lady and I'll kill you!" A swordsman appeared. He had blue hair and armor made of material he did not know. "Silent Swordsman!" She exclaimed, also surprised. "Gandora wanted to come, but he was too destructive. Silent Magician pushed me here."

"How dare you try to harm my mistress when she had done nothing wrong..." The swordsman seethed. "Don't, Silent Swordsman! Please help free Watapon from her confines!" The swordsman turned its back to the sacred guardians and proceeded to destroy the stone tablet. With that, the small creature jumped back to the girl's staggering figure. "Mistress!" It said.

"Don't worry, milady, we will help you!" The swordsman was about to attack the Pharaoh. The king of Khemet was ready to counter, of course, but what happened was beyond him.

"STOP! DON'T HARM MOU HITORI NO BOKU!" She hugged the huge swordsman from behind before bursting into tears, crying. In a moment, her monsters disappeared. "Capture her! She tried to kill the Pharaoh!"

No, she just saved him from her own spirit. With a sad and defeated look on her face, she managed a smile. "It's fine this way," the Pharaoh's heart was torn as the guards escort her.

_He was standing on an altar of stones; his precious partner was in front of him in an iron chainmail. He felt torn and anguished. "Special effect of Mirror Force Dragon! It will bounce the attack to all your monsters!" He felt sad and hurt._

_"AIBOU!" He had shouted. _

_With a small smile the little one could manage, he said: "It's fine this way,"_

_'What was that? A memory?' _The Pharaoh rubbed his hand to his temple, counting on it to reduce his headache. What was that familiarity? Why did the Millennium Pendant glow?

When he was about to rise and retire in his room, a guard entered the room with a news.

"We just got info from our men! The Thief King Bakura and the Assassin King Marik have been captured!"

But he couldn't feel anything else aside of regret and guilt. It was wrong. It was wrong of him to send that girl to the dungeon. But why? After all, she had tried to kill him, no?

* * *

"That was so dramatic!" Ra faked a sniffle and it earned a smack on the head by Obelisk. "Not such a great joke if it's not funny, right? You know you'd done something bad to those three little mortals! Undo the spell and let's forget this entire thing even happened!"

"Are you kidding me? That was the best thing I've seen after the whole drama that was called Battle City!" Obelisk fumed, and Osiris rolled his eyes.

To suffer for their revered sun god's capricious nature… poor mortals.


	3. Chapter 3

"Horus,"

"OH FOR THE LOVE OF FUCK! WHY DOES EVERYONE HAVE TO COME TO ME WHEN THEY ARE BORED?! DON'T YOU KNOW THAT I'M THE PHARAOH OF GODS?!"

Laughter escaped the lips of the blue-haired lady. She sat on top of Horus' desk and petted the pharaoh on his head. "L-Lady Obelisk..." He stammered like a child mortal.

Lady Obelisk, the final member of the three gods had a smile on her face. And she was always motherly, unless you make her snap. If Ra was famous with his capricious nature and Osiris was famous for his just and calm nature, Obelisk was famous for her caring and brash nature. She was like the 'mother' within the three gods.

"Oh please, Horus, don't call me Lady. It makes me feel old." She _was_ old, but he definitely won't say that. "Your father told me that you were the one who suggested the idea of playing with mortals' fate." Oh for all falcons in the world, _this _again?

"I received scolding from my father, if that is what you came here to do." Horus huffed uncomfortably. "I know, my dear, I know. I come here to slap you on your face for not understanding the consequences of your idea." Obelisk said as she cocked her head to the next chamber, where Ra was cursing his guts off for the injury on his face.  
_**  
**__**PLAK!**__**  
**_  
Obelisk slapped him. But it didn't hurt as much as he thought it would be. "Those mortals were boys, and they became girls. Our feelings are much... more complex than boys' were. I expect a full patronizing in your part, dear Horus. Be there and comfort them, _personally._" Horus gasped. "My lady! I am the pharaoh of gods! Surely you are not thinking of adding to my workload?"

The blue-haired and blue-skinned lady with striking sapphire colored eyes floated gracefully atop of his desk and glided to the exit. She leaned towards the door with a grin. "I'm afraid I just did, my dear Horus." And then she left.

Horus, dumbfounded, could only stare when his father appeared out of nowhere, laughing at his fate.

* * *

"Eight points, Yugi!" Malik exclaimed cheerfully as she took a grape from Yugi's bowl. "Nah, it couldn't be more than just five. You can do better, brat." Bakura commented with a snarky smile from the cell across them. "Yeah? What about you do something that rivaled Yugi's feat then?" Malik snapped. Marik laughed at the Thief King while Ryou smiled, clearly intrigued.

"Hmph. Let's see."

A female servant came to bring some food to the boys' cell. She skirted around warily. "Add more to those, girl." Bakura stood up from his relaxed posture. The female servant shrieked. "Add more fruits there. It's been a weary day for me," the Thief King stood in front of the shivering female servant and put his hand across the dungeon's bar of stone, resting on the girl's waist. "Surely you don't want me to be hungry?" The girl squealed as Bakura nibbled on her neck.

She dropped a few more fruits from her hands and scampered away with a loud squeal. "Nine points!" Marik snickered as he took some of the grape as well. "The highest is still Malik though." Ryou added as she took some of the grapes for herself. Yugi laughed. "I could never ever do that! I mean; Malik just _made out _with the guard!"

Malik's expression turned smug. "Oh please, I'm a girl now. Why not make use of that to get us some food and blankets, huh?" True to her sayings. Thanks to their little game of seduction, their cell looked like a comfy room now. Although it was still cold (still cold was an understatement, really. Yugi had a fever almost every night. But that's probably because her health has always been a fragile issue), at least they have blankets and pillows.

The game of seduction was a game they all agreed upon to pass time until Bakura and Marik felt like they didn't want to be here anymore. It was to seduce every guard that came to them to give various necessities they needed. At first, Yugi and Ryou had been reluctant, but after some time, they decided that they were too bored to care.

Yugi's angle was simple: be shy and adorable (which she had pulled it off like it was in her second nature), her health had been an issue almost every guard and servants knew and they all came to her with various things. Medicines, blankets, fruits, you name it.

Ryou's angle was to be gentle and caring, which wasn't an angle really. She will be the first to react whenever something happened to Yugi or Malik. Since she had a sister before, she could just adjust better to be a girl. She didn't shout her guts off when she realized that her… _manliness_ was gone (coughMalikcough) or broke down crying every time something went wrong because of raging hormones (coughYugicough). Once, the guards had had a fever and he didn't realize it. Ryou walked to him and put her cool hands to the guard's face. "You have a fever. I think you should rest for the day." And gave him a peck on the cheek. The guards was swept off his feet and left staggering, and Bakura had been the one who laughed the loudest at that.

Malik's angle was fiery and hot, something that Marik dubbed as 'worth a bone-crushing hug'. There was a time when Yugi was in the middle of her fever, without blanket or even water. Malik called to the guard and argued with him. At first, the guard had said, "Why should I care about the welfare of lowly foreigners?" Malik, enraged that the man didn't want to help her best friend, had kissed him on the mouth, giving the guard a hot and steamy kiss. "Help him- _her_. I don't care what you think, okay?" The guard, having been dazed, obeyed Malik. And few days later, the guard had came with bowls of fruit and heaps of blanket. "Here, for your friend." His face was red when he saw Malik. Marik had laughed, saying that the guard was in love with Malik now.

Marik used seduction and death threats to get what he wanted. He kisses any woman servant who would give him extra food, while Bakura used the cool angle. They had fun.

And they have become closer with one another. Even the thief and assassin, they all considered themselves close with these women who got hurt by the Pharaoh. They were innocent, but the Pharaoh refused to swallow his ego and dumped all three into the dungeon with them. Well, they had kidnapped Ryou and Malik, but he shunned them just because they were foreigners. And they also got another proof for their Pharaoh-is-an-incurable-asshole theory, namely Yugi.

The first night Yugi arrived in the cell, she had been crying. Saying nonsense about her yami and Pharaoh and he had asked her who she was and et cetera. Eventually, Ryou who comforted her joined her cries and after seeing her two best friends crying, Malik joined as well. Bakura had thought that it was absolutely ridiculous. Why _would _they cry like that? Maybe it's a woman thing.

"It's not right," Marik had growled, his dark-lavender eyes peering at Malik's crying figure. "What is?" Bakura asked. "Her. Crying like that," Marik cocked his head to Malik, who was wrapping her friends in a protective hug. "It doesn't _feel _right." Bakura stared at Ryou, who was also crying. But he felt nothing, nothing at all. Nothing…

…but a small feeling of guilt.

* * *

"THAT'S IT! I'M BORED AND I WANT TO GET OUT FROM HERE!" Marik was shouting, he threw a punch to the wall and it cracked. "I haven't killed people or mummies for like _ages_!" Malik rolled her eyes, still attending to Yugi's fever. Yugi had laughed weakly. "I'm bored too." Bakura said as he stood up. "We're going out from here."

"How do you do that?" Ryou asked, looking up from the towel she had pressed to Yugi's forehead just before. "Why do you think we stick around until all the woman servants giggle like idiots when they see us?" Marik said smugly. Ah, so they will use the servants' horse. Great idea. "Yugi's sick though." Malik said.

"It's okay… I'll be better in the morning." Yugi said with a smile on her face. Really, Ryou and Malik could never understand how this girl managed to give a smile to put a rest to all their worries. "Okay, so we're going to break out from this thing's confine and-"

The door opened. And one of the guards Yugi had charmed came with a forlorn expression on his face. "Nuru-san…? What is it?" Yugi breathed. The guard, Nuru, cast a sad frown to Yugi's direction before opening the door. He kneeled in front of Yugi. "The Pharaoh requests your presence, oh little one."

"WHAT?" Malik raged and Ryou pulled her best friend to a hug. "_Now _he wants to see her?!" A seething rage came from Bakura's counterpart, much to everyone's surprise. Marik looked towards Bakura, who nodded.

"I'm afraid you have no choice, little one. Oh, I'm so sorry." Nuru looked torn. Malik frowned as he took her best friend by her shoulder. "Yugi, be-"

"The Pharaoh is not mou hitori no boku…" She muttered to herself. Malik narrowed her eyes. "I came here to meet mou hitori no boku… but the Pharaoh's not him…" Yugi looked delirious and Malik was about to yell at Nuru to not take her away, but Ryou stopped her. "Yugi understands, Malik. She's strong." Ryou convinced her friend.

When Nuru and Yugi left, Malik noticed that the guard didn't lock their door back. "Sweet Ra! We're getting out of here!" Malik said as she picked the lock on Marik and Bakura's cell. "But we'll have to rescue the brat, won't we? C'mon, we have lots to do."

Bakura strode away, and Ryou followed him instinctively. "He considered her like a sister, you know?" Marik said as he hugged Malik's shoulder from behind, his hands rested on her breasts casually. "Actually, me too. That Yugi brat's cute."

"Of course she is. Even as a male he's so effeminate and cute and cuddly." Malik slapped her yami's hands away. "Not as cute as you though." Marik kissed her hair, and Malik stomped her yami's foot and strode away with her face as red as a tomato.

* * *

"You better not play with her heart, Ra." Obelisk glared at the sun god, clearly displeased. "Oh pleaaase! I'm not interfering with this one. Besides, I couldn't. If anyone can interfere at this point, it's Horus. After all, Pharaohs _are _Horus' flesh on earth."

With that statement, Obelisk looked at Osiris, who nodded.

She'll have to make another visit to Horus tonight.


	4. Chapter 4

Mahaad watched as one of the guards brought the prisoner girl, who looked as if she had drank too much wine to actually function. Her face was red as she chattered away to the guard who looked uncomfortably happy.

"Oh little one, now I'm not really sure if I should hand you or-"

"Nonsense! Ah? Dark Magician! Where are your armor and your wife?" The dazed-looking girl waved to _him_. As if _he_was this Dark Magician person she addressed and he had had a wife.

"High Priest Mahaad." The guard bowed as he reluctantly gave the girl to him. The girl... looked like the Pharaoh, only slimmer and shorter. She also has pale skin and kind-looking face instead of the Pharaoh's proud and domineering looks. "Dark Magician..." She whispered in utter amazement. "I shoudda know tha' you'll be with mou hitori no boku's side even in the past..." She looked dazed, but the her voice didn't shake as she utter the words of adornment to him, even though the speech itself was a bit... jumbled.

"Excuse me." A prisoner or not, she was still a lady and Mahaad won't ever touch a lady without her permission. When the girl nodded with a bizarre happiness across her face, he touched her forehead.

She was _burning_. But as a calm, rich, and deep voice called his name, Mahaad reluctantly took the girl to the owner of the said voice.

"Thank you, Mahaad." Pharaoh, no, Atem showed him a smile he rarely ever showed anymore. The same smile graced Mahaad's feature as he retreated back into the darkness, far enough from being noticed but close enough to protect the Pharaoh should anything happened.

That girl, despite how small she looked, had shown how much control she had over shadow spirits. And Isis had said that it could be a danger.

* * *

She staggered to his place with a smile across her face.

A part of him would give everything in the world to run where she was and give her all the help she wanted, but another part of him was wary of that fact. Who is she? Could it be that she was a witch who has the ability to influence him this much?

Ever since she fell atop his lap, he was not able get her out of his head. Her smile, her worried stare- her amethyst eyes haunted him lovingly. Like there was a part of him who was utterly and hauntingly familiar with her. It made him uneasy.

He had heard from Mana that the five newest inmates had made some reputation for themselves. And according to her, she was 'the Adorable Yugi'. Atem really did notice how adorable she was from the moment she utter those foreign words.

All of his curiosity piled and it led to this night when he asked Mahaad to bring her to him.

"Hi..." She said awkwardly, shifting her weight from one leg to another. "Please sit, little one." A relieved smile unknowingly made its way to the Pharaoh's face. He didn't know why though.

The girl looked around and shook her head. "Ummmmno zanks." She mumbled. "You not mou hitori no boku, right? It's 'kay if you're not nice." She smiled slightly before collapsing to the ground, panting hard as she did so.

Panic raised to the Pharaoh's head as the girl struggled hard to breathe. "Yugi Mutou!" He exclaimed. But marveled at it for a split second. Why was it that he lost his calm so fast whenever this girl was involved?

Atem ran to her place, cringing at how cold the night winds were. He grabbed her shoulders with one hand, supporting her weight as his other hand made its way to her forehead.

It was burning hot, but when he was about to use magic to heal her, she slapped his hand away. "No!" She said angrily. "Don't use your magic if you don't like it! You hate me! Don't use your magic for me!"

She sounded childish and petulant, but the Pharaoh found it very cute and endearing. "I don't hate you, little one." Amazing how a few words seemed to calm the flailing girl in his arms. "After all, you did save me from those spirits, no?"

She looked at the Pharaoh sadly before nuzzling her feverish head to the Pharaoh's neck. "You're not him... I love him so much..." Pharaoh was astounded. Who was this person whom she loved in the favor of even the Pharaoh? "You have a fever, little one."

Instead of answering, the little one burst into tears. "I want mou hitori no bokuuuuuu." Why was she being so random? Could it be that all women, excluding the happy Mana, were like this?

"Pharaoh!" Mahaad shouted. "Please get away!" Two horses, no, three horses burst into the garden. The white-haired girl and Thief King Bakura sat together on a horse while the platinum-haired ones sat on different horses.

Both platinum-haired man and woman went down from their horses. But the Assassin King took out a knife from his pockets and approached Atem while the girl shot him a dirty glare before gently coaxing Yugi out of his arms. "It's alright now," she says reassuringly. "We'll treat you as soon as we got back, Yugi, it's alright."

"Pharaoh! Guards!" Mahaad shouted as he blast willed his millennium ring to work. Both Bakura and Ryou looked at the ring intently as its spikes pointed at them. "So it really _is_mine. You weren't lying." Bakura smirked at his female-counterpart, who only nodded.

"As much as I want to steal it, I think it's unnecessary now, especially with the midget sick and all." Malik was now on top of her horse with a horridly delirious Yugi clinging to her back. "He's not Yami, Yugi. His name is Atem." Malik repeated sadly to Yugi, who was crying softly but nodded at Malik's every word.

"How could he take advantage of Yugi when she's sick..." Ryou commented absently as she tried to look at Yugi's condition, but her words struck Atem hard.

"LET'S GET OUTTA HERE! YOOHOO!" The Assassin King slashed the blade and it nearly grazed Atem, but that was exactly as he wanted. The assassin then jumped to his own horse and ran away, along with the others.

"Chase them!" Mahaad ordered to the guards, who obeyed him immediately. "Are you alright, my Pharaoh?" He asked, but Atem only gave him a nod and wandered back to his chamber.

He expected his chamber to be empty, only to find a man with a clothing very similar to his own sitting on the windowsill. The only difference was he was bald and there was a very beautiful falcon perched on his wrist elegantly.

"Who are you?!" Atem demanded, but he felt his body shudder when golden-colored eyes met his own crimson ones. "My name is Horus, I am the pharaoh of gods." Atem narrowed his eyes. _He_is Horus.

"I know. You're my avatar here in the human world." The man –_ god _– said as he absently stroked the falcon's strong beak. Atem furrowed his eyebrows. Why would a god want anything with him? As far as he was concerned, he had ruled Khemet in the best of his capabilities. So why would a god, Horus himself, nonetheless, came here in front of him.

"I come here to guide you. I think you will be grateful of it as it may alleviate some of your uneasiness." Atem instantly knew what he was talking about. Horus was talking about the unfamiliar familiarity he felt towards the girl who had just escaped the palace.

"Now come, mortal, I will show you what you need to see."

* * *

The little girl is sitting in front of the fire in the middle of the desert, trying to receive all the heat she could in the cold and windy night. Her eyes darted to her sleeping friends with a simple smile across her face. Atem could still see the pinkish glow on her face. She still had a fever.

Atem observed his body; he was currently nothing more than a green smoke. The god beside him was the same. Horus only watched with guilt reflected on his eyes as the girl scooted closer to the fire.

"Ah!" She suddenly exclaimed. Her eyes are glazed and unfocused, but a very glee smile appeared on her face. Atem turned to Horus, who only smiled. "Let me show you what she is seeing." There was a faint glow on his hands and it reacted with his Millennium Pendant.

When his visions cleared, he saw another version of himself materializing in front of the girl. And he was very much… naked.

He looked like Atem. No, he was practically Atem with an ivory skin that matched the girl's own. Identical crimson eyes opened as the other Atem looked towards the small girl with affection and care.

"Don't appear in your birthday suit, mou hitori no boku!" The girl covered her eyes, the other Atem laughed warmly. He never knew that he could laugh like that. "I'm the materialization of your mind, aibou. It's not my fault if I appear on my 'birthday suit' as you kindly put it." Yugi blushed, and it was the most adorable sight.

She threw the blue garb she was wearing to other Atem, who caught it with ease. The other Atem closed his eyes and he was fully clothed with the same garb as the little girl's. "Wait… aibou…?" The other Atem sat beside the little girl, who looked up to the other Atem's face shyly. "Your chests… are they swollen or something?" Horus covered his mouth with his hand, trying his best not to laugh.

"E-eh? Of course not- AH!"

Atem could only gasp when the other Atem placed his hands on top of the little girl's chest. Curiosity flared on his eyes as he squeezed the little girl's 'swollen chest' lightly. "N-no… mou hitori no boku…" Her face was flushed red, and Atem felt his stomach squirm.

"I swear by Ra that they weren't there when we shared that body…" The other Atem said curiously as he hastily took his hands. "T-they weren't…" The little girl blushed. "You're… a girl now…?" Atem was lost at their conversation. She was a girl _now? _Does that mean she wasn't a girl before?

"Y-yeah…" Yugi covered her face. But the other Atem only smiled at him. "I will ask for your story, but I do not think that this is an appropriate time." The other Atem pulled the little girl closer to him and let her head fall on top of his shoulder. There was a jolt of familiarity when he saw himself together with her like that.

"_Even without my memories, I want to stay with you forever, aibou…"_

"_I'll give you all my memories, so…!" Tears made its way to his light's face, and he wanted nothing other than wiping those tears away from his kind hikari's face._

"I believe that our time here is over, Atem." Horus grabbed his shoulder and they reappeared in Atem's room in the palace. "What was that?" Atem asked the god, who was still petting his falcon's beak. "I've shown you her delusions." The god answered simply. Atem pressed for more.

"Why does her delusions involve… me?" That man, although pale and clothed in strange clothing, was definitely _him_. Horus smiled to him cryptically.

"That is for Ra and the gods to know and for you to find out, my glorious avatar."

The god disappeared without warning, leaving Atem by himself in his room as Ra's first rays of light began to touch his room.

* * *

"Oh, Horus _did _interfere without my asking." Obelisk smiled happily. "Of course he would. My son does not fancy people ordering him around." Osiris smiled proudly. "Poor Yugi though. She misses her darkness too much to the point that she imagines him like that…" Obelisk threw a frown to Ra's direction.

The sun god only smirked as he watched the humans rise to his light. "I can't wait to see what happens next. I didn't expect her to do that…"

Both Osiris and Obelisk rolled their eyes. It's a good thing that they weren't as obnoxious as Ra was, or the mortals would be so mortified by three obnoxious gods tampering with their fates just for a practical joke.


	5. Chapter 5

"Why?"

The sheer question had scared Ryou. Why indeed. Why did she want to meet him again? Why did she feel scared about losing someone who manipulated her life for her again? Why?

"I… can't explain it…" That was the truth. She couldn't explain it without sounding like a total loco. How can she explain that having a voice behind her head comforted her? No way.

"Just try and tell." The Thief King was staring at her intensely, and it made her undeniably uncomfortable. "Before I meet Yugi and the others… I had no friends." She murmured, and she felt somehow glad that Bakura didn't ask her to enhance her voice.

"I was always alone. But when I found Monster World – a very great game – I found friends. And when I play with those friends, it felt so fun that I want it to stop forever. You, I mean, my yami, made it possible for me- although in a very inconvenient way." She took a deep breath before continuing. "It was scary. And it continued. Whenever my friends play with me, they went into comatose state. Their souls are trapped within my dolls, playing the game forever. I become very detached and empty. When I moved to the Domino High, I met with Yugi.

"And at the same time, there was a teacher who hates me. And you eradicated him for me…" The Thief King raised one of his eyebrows. "That was the first time anyone ever do something for me, Bakura, do you know how much it means for me…?" Oh god. Outburst is bad, especially to the man who doesn't know a thing…

"Don't raise your voice at me, hikari." Ryou jolted, but not at the sharpness of those words. The last time she checked, this was Ancient Egypt and not the present Japan. His - _her _yami wasn't supposed to know that word, much less use it as a nickname like he did now.

What puzzled her even more was the fact that Bakura himself looked bewildered at the words he just said. Could it be that he didn't know what it meant?

"Bakura?" Ryou asked. She would never get used to the fact to other people, she sounded like she was calling her last name. To her, Bakura was always _him_. Her yami.

"Akefia." He said, sounding irritated for some reason. "My name is Akefia Bakura. I'm always Akefia to those who knew me." Ryou raised one of her eyebrows, raising the silent question of _'Marik?'_. "That asshole is too caught up in our titles. To him, I'm always Thief King Bakura before Akefia Bakura. I can't ask for a better partner though."

Somehow, a link Ryou never felt for one year surged and it transferred amusement down her way. She looked up to Bakura, who looked confused as well. _/Just like before.../ _she thought, but judging from the way Akefia's hands went to his pocket to find his hidden weapon, he heard it too.

_/We could do this before.../_ Ryou thought hesitantly. /_But it was always in a way that I'd rather not remember/ _but her mind unwillingly played the memories for both of them.

The Ring. It attached itself to her- when she was a he- chest while her yami says that he didn't want to part with her yet.

The Monster World. Her yami had pierced a hole through their hands just to make her silent.

The duel where she was losing to Yami. When she was bleeding on her arm.

Those were the times when they talked. But Ryou could vividly remember the comfort of her soul room right across Bakura's. She always cower in fear, but the Thief's room was always warm and full of passion (and desire to revenge), it comforted her somehow.

"I see..." Bakura said as he exhaled. "I didn't know I could be even more of an asshole that I already am. That's probably why I was locked inside that ring, huh?" Although he just sounded a question, Ryou knew that she didn't need to answer.

"So I was your yami, your darkness." He said for both of them. Ryou nodded. "Technically, you will be." They were in the past, after all. Bakura laughed. "Let's start this my way, 'kay? I'm Akefia Bakura, the Thief King of Khemet." Bakura, no, _Akefia _held out a hand for her. If it were her yami, he wouldn't have done this in a million years. But she came to notice that her yami was a part of Zorc while Akefia was his own person. Ryou smiled.

"I'm Ryou Bakura." Something in her heart whispered that it was a start for something she had dreamed of for a long time: coexistence between light and dark, just like how Yugi and Yami were.

* * *

Unlike Yugi and the Pharaoh, Malik and Marik were in no way a normal light and dark. Malik knew this for a fact.

She wasn't a light. She was far from it. Light, _hikari _was a term she'd rather use to refer to Yugi or Ryou since they really were pure and light-like. Meanwhile, she was very different.

She was curious, and many other feelings such as regret and disdain came from that curiosity.

Regret because she couldn't satiate all of her curiosity, and disdain because she knew very well what caused her to lose her chance at doing what she wanted to do.

And at the same time, it caused hatred and envy to surge from the depths of her heart. She envied Odion, who can't receive the Tomb Keeper's initiation. She envied Ishizu, who didn't need to receive the initiation because she's born a girl. She hated her father for doing whatever he had done to her. She hated Marik for killing her father. She hated Shadi for lying to her about the whole thing about the Pharaoh's soul.

Surely a light shouldn't feel this much hatred?

That's why Malik would never be a 'hikari'. She might be a light to Marik's darkness, but she was not a hikari. Hikari means light. And light means purity. She wasn't pure. Oh no, not at all.

That was why she and Marik were lying beside one another with nothing on besides a blanket. Unlike those two spirits who they knew as a different entity altogether, Malik grew up knowing that Marik was another part of her. That he was always there for her to fear. Twisted, yes, but at this point, nobody cared.

"Your back is beautiful, pretty light." Marik touched her carved-back, causing her to wince. Not from the pain, but the sheer fact that somebody touched the darkest part of her life while saying that it was _beautiful_. "Pretty light?" Malik scoffed at the nickname.

"_Just let me kill him, let me kill our father, hikari-pretty!"_

"It feels right to call you that." Marik said as he tightened his grip around her waist. "Tell me the truth, Marik…" Malik sighed, tired of being suspicious. "Who are you really?" Marik burst into laughter, his breath invaded Malik's ears pleasantly. "Who knows?" Marik chuckled.

"I woke up in the middle of the sand, knowing nothing but my own name: Marik." Malik gasped. Could it be that… that Marik was here simply because she wished to see him again?

Would this be how her yami could have been without all those hatred and vengeance she implanted on him? Or maybe, Marik wasn't actually _alive_ before. He was created for the sole chance so she could return to him as his own person, with his own darkness and not hers. Could it be that it was some sort of a practical joke that she was granted a new chance to be with her darkness?

Malik sighed as she closed her eyes. Whoever created this joke, if it really was, she needed to thank them.

* * *

_I suck at writing tendershipping and bronzeshipping, but I really do ship the pairings DX_


End file.
